In a number of industries, including for example the transportation and construction industries, objects including structures and/or materials are used temporarily and disposed of on a frequent basis. Often, these objects are relatively large and require significant amount of space for storage and/or transportation before disposal. Furthermore, breaking up the objects before disposal can be a laborious and/or time consuming task depending on the type of structure and/or material associated with the object. In some applications, machines have been devised for breaking up objects to reduce the size and storage volume before disposal. However, these machines typically comprise high speed rotor blades that are noisy and dangerous to use.
For example, a pallet is a support structure used in transportation to support goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift or other jacking device. Most pallets are wooden and comprise a series of parallel timber pieces upon which a multiple boards are affixed to create the support surface of the pallet structure. Pallet dimensions can range depending on the application, but typically pallets are formed to provide a support area of at least 1 m2. Pallets can be formed from an array of materials including wooden or plastics materials.
Most pallets are used in a single transport job and then disposed of or recycled. This creates a space issue for storing and/or transporting the pallets after use if they are not dismantled and/or compacted. Dismantling a pallet is normally time consuming and laborious. For this reason, pallet breaking machines have been conceived to break up and/or compact the pallet volume. However, most of these machines use high speed rotary cutting blades that are noisy and dangerous to use and that can create a dusty environment. This is not only uncomfortable for the operator but it can put their health at risk.
There exists a need for a less harmful system, method and/or machine for breaking down objects prior to disposal.
In this specification where reference has been made to sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such information is not to be construed as an admission that such information, in any jurisdiction, is prior art, or forms part of the common general knowledge in the art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system, machine and/or or method for reducing the bulk size and/or volume of one or more objects that at least partially alleviates the disadvantages associated with existing breaking machines, or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.